Stanchion bases

[trevor]

I have found that two of my aluminium stanchion bases are cracked.
They are difficult to remove since the bolts/nuts have been glassed in and will therefore have to be drilled out.
Is it possible to have these welded in situ. by a specialist welder?

Trevor

 

[Guest]

I'm no expert, but it doesn't seem like a good idea to me. Better to buy new bases and reinstall them. If they're cracked, some stress caused them to crack, and it's not unreasonable to believe that there is also hidden damage that would compromise their attachment to the hull/deck.

Also, the heat that would be generated in welding would probably damage the resin covering the nuts and bolts, so if you didn't have a fire, you would lose the integrity of the glassing in. That's if you could even find someone to come out to do it at a reasonable price.

 

[stephenk]

Coincidentally on Tuesday I replaced one of the stanchion bases on my Centaur, the screws would not turn on the deck side of the stanchion and from within the cabin, the nuts were glassed in, 10 minutes of chopping with a chisel revealed the nuts and it was easy enough then to undo the nuts and to knock the bolts back up to remove them from the deck.

The new stanchions (an extortionate £20 each) were then replaced and new nuts and bolts were installed, I may reglass the nuts in but may just paint them as glassing in does not appear to make the stanchion base any stronger.
The job was fairly easy and took no more than half an hour in total.

 

[jeanette]

I have just replaced all of mine (though the problems are a little different as they are fixed to the toerail). Every stanchion base was cracked and I think the reason was a mixture of crevice corrosion and the expansion/accumulation of salt inside.

Replace them; they are there to save lives. Would you prefer to trust an aluminium weld or a newly cast base?



Jeanette

 

[charles_reed]

Typical Westerly practice I'm afraid.

I've found the French Uship catalogue to be very much more economical the the UK chandlers for guardrail bits.

900 mm SS stanchion £9 compared to £19
Bolt-thro' stanchion end-sockets £8 cf £16

 

[charles_reed]

I wouldn't even consider it if I were you - the cracking is probably due to build-up of aluminium hydroxide and the bases are probably knackered if the stanchions weren't fitted with ample insulation (HDPE round stanchion base).
There are few expert Al welders in the UK (best are in NZ), the risks to your hull GRP are too great - suggest looking across the channel for the components at a reasonable price (Uship) and replacing the whole lot.
It will be a pig of a job, involving the use of a drill and a lump hammer.

I've experienced a similar task, as the result of an encounter with a current-driven motor cruiser in St Gilles Croix de Vie (a pox on the place)